[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 9, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50644-50645]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-21815]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Alaska
Community Quota Entity (CQE) Program
AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before December 10,
2018.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th
and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230 (or via the internet
at [email protected]).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should
be directed to Gabrielle Aberle, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
This request is for extension of a currently approved information
collection.
The Community Quota Entity (CQE) Program provides eligible
communities in Alaska the means for starting or supporting commercial
fisheries activities that will result in an ongoing, regionally based,
fisheries-related economy. Under the Community Quota Entity Program, 46
eligible communities are authorized to form nonprofit entities called
CQEs to participate in certain Federal limited access privilege
programs.
Under the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) CQE Program, CQEs may
purchase commercial halibut and sablefish quota share (QS) for lease to
residents of the eligible community. Under the Charter Halibut Limited
Access Program, CQEs may request community charter halibut permits
(CHPs) for use in southeast Alaska and the central Gulf of Alaska.
Under the License Limitation Program (LLP), CQEs may request non-trawl
groundfish LLP licenses endorsed for Pacific cod in the central or
western Gulf of Alaska.
This information collection contains the applications and reporting
requirements for CQEs. This collection contains applications used by a
nonprofit corporation to become a CQE; by CQEs to receive nontrawl
groundfish LLP licenses and CHP permits; by CQEs to transfer or receive
IFQ QS; by CQEs to transfer IFQ to an eligible community resident or
non-resident; and by CQEs to transfer between commercial halibut IFQ
and halibut guided angler fish (GAF). In addition, this collection
contains two reporting requirements: An annual report and an
authorization letter. Annually each CQE must submit a report describing
its business operations and fishing activities for each eligible
community it represents. CQEs requesting LLP groundfish licenses must
annually submit an authorization letter that assigns each community LLP
license to a user and vessel.
[[Page 50645]]
II. Method of Collection
The applications are available as fillable PDFs on the NMFS Alaska
Region website at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries-applications that may be downloaded, printed, faxed or mailed to NMFS.
The CQE annual report must be mailed. The CQE authorization letter may
be submitted as an attachment to an email.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648-0665.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current
information collection).
Affected Public: Not-for-profit institutions; Individuals or
households.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 75.
Estimated Time Per Response: 200 hours for Application for a Non-
profit Corporation to be Designated as a CQE; 2 hours each for
Application to transfer QS IFQ to or from a CQE, Application for CQE to
Transfer IFQ to an Eligible Community Resident or Non-resident, and
Application for Transfer between IFQ and GAF by a CQE; 20 hours for
Application for a CQE to Receive a Nontrawl Groundfish LLP License; 40
hours for CQE Annual Report; 1 hour each for Application for Community
Charter Halibut Permit and CQE LLP Authorization Letter.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,884 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $264 in recordkeeping and
reporting costs.
IV. Request for Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information;
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of
automated collection techniques or other forms of information
technology.
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.
Dated: October 3, 2018.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-21815 Filed 10-5-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-12-P